With many of us currently working from home, businesses are needing to adapt to a new landscape. We provide our clients with solutions that enable their teams to continue operating seamlessly whilst ensuring that their IT system and data remain secure.
We thought we would put together a summary of our top advantages & disadvantages when working from home as there are several things that should be considered.
Advantage 1 – Flexibility
Perhaps the main advantage to working from home is the flexibility that it can provide. It enables your team to be able to continue with some of the simple day-to-day things such as receiving deliveries, working flexible hours, taking care of the kids and much more.
This flexibility is something that is very attractive as it can help your employees to maintain a healthy work / life balance. It also cuts out the time your team spend commuting which is always welcome!
Advantage 2 – Creature comforts
It goes without saying that working from home means that your team can work from an environment they feel comfortable in.
This includes things such as having their own kitchen to cook lunch and being able to work in a relaxed environment. It is a known fact that a less stressful environment generally leads to a better quality of work!
Advantage 3 – Access to office systems
Unlike in the early 1990s, advances in IT technology mean that your team can access office systems in much the same way as if they were in the office.
Making the most of things such as shared drives hosted software means that you no longer need the confines of an office to continue working as normal!
Whilst there are many advantages to working from home, there are also some disadvantages that should be considered.
These disadvantages, however, do not need to be things that prevent your team from working effectively!
Disadvantage 1 – Communication with team members
Working remotely can cause a few challenges when a team environment is helpful to how you function. In addition, it means that things such as face-to-face team meetings are not possible.
Whilst this can be a disadvantage, we are able to provide things such as bespoke videoconferencing, team chat software that can help to overcome this and bring your team together. In addition to this, integrated telephony solutions can mean that your team can take and make calls as if they were in the office.
This is an extremely cost-effective way to work when you consider the overheads of an office!
Disadvantage 2 – IT Issues can be a challenge
When your team are not based in the office, having an IT issue can prove to be a challenge. In addition, they may find that their internet connection is not wholly reliable and therefore cause downtime.
Whilst we are unable to help fix any home broadband issues that are the cause of your Internet Service Provider, having a managed IT service means that your team will always have someone to call should something go wrong. This means that they can take action rather than doing nothing!
Disadvantage 3 – Ensuring that your team are working efficiently
This is often one reason where people like to have their team working from a central location. We have all heard about the three-hour lunch break, heading off for a round of golf or having a nice lie in and cutting the day short!
These things do not need to be a concern however, as by using our software you can see when your team are online or offline and monitor computer usage to track actions in a non-intrusive way. This will help provide valuable insight as you run your business.
Overall, the advantages of working from home often far outweigh the disadvantages and as well as being possible, they can save you the overheads of an office!
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your IT needs, our team would be more than happy to help.
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